


Steven Universe ''Gemsona'' Collection

by MySuperior



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2015-03-29
Packaged: 2018-03-19 11:19:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3608169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MySuperior/pseuds/MySuperior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of  my OC's for the Cartoon Network show Steven Unvierse featuring Imperial Topaz, Tiger's Eye, Chrysocolla, and Tourmalated Quartz. Character sketches may be added in the future. If you would like to read more stories about these characters leave a comment requesting a continuation.  Thanks for reading.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Imperial Topaz

Name: Imperial Topaz

Nicknames: Topaz, Paz,

Race: Gem

Gender: Genderless

Gemstone: Golden/Imperial Topaz

Occupation: Scientific Research Division

Friends/Associates:  Citrine (Mentor)

                                 Tiger's Eye

                                Chrysocolla

                                Tourmalated Quartz

Weapon: Retractable Katar

Background: 

The reach of the alien race known as the ''Gems'' was beginning to spread throughout the galaxy like never before. It seemed like every day, a new planet was being discovered and cataloged--each new planet full of new, unique life forms. As head of the Gem's Scientific Research Division, it was Citrine's job to ensure that accurate, detailed descriptions of every living inhabitant of each cataloged planet was recorded. Naturally, the task of cataloging was too large for Citrine's current research team. So, she decided to appeal to her superiors and request additional SRD Gems. Citrine's superiors granted her request, giving her roughly one thousand seven hundred fifty new employees. One new Gem in particular piqued her interest--the young Imperial Topaz.

From training, Imperial Topaz demonstrated an increased natural aptitude for science and research. This surprised Citrine as Imperial Topaz and the other new recruits were especially made for the SRD. On her first cataloging assignment, Imperial Topaz was able to record every organism on the assigned planet in only fifty years (including microscopic life forms) and create an encyclopedia of most likely evolutionary routes for each organism. The young gem was also very thorough in her work--picking apart male, female, genderless, sexual, asexual,  child, adolescent, adult, elderly, and deceased variants of each being and recording everything about their strengths, weaknesses, anatomy, and reproductive systems. Unlike other recruits who occasionally complained or questioned the ethics of the SDR, Imperial Topaz never hesitated or show any sign of remorse. In fact, Imperial Topaz delighted herself in her work as it brought her pleasure to dissect strange, new organisms and see how their internal systems operated. When Citrine questioned Gems who worked with Imperial Topaz, they often described her as being oblivious to a creature's pain and suffering. ''Topaz keeps them alive for testing,'' they said. ''Even after she's broken their will to live.'' Citrine liked what she heard. She hadn't seen a Gem so dedicated to science since. . . herself.

''Salutations Imperial Topaz. The resemblance between us is uncanny wouldn't you say?''

Imperial Topaz turned from her work to see her commanding officer Citrine standing behind her. Because she had never been this close to the head of the SRD, Imperial Topaz hadn't noticed that she and Citrine did indeed look somewhat alike. Their gems, although they had a different crystalline structure, were almost identical in color.

''Is there something I can do for you Commander Citrine,'' Imperial Topaz asked.

''Yes,'' Citrine answered with a wide smile. ''You can abandon this project and become my personal assistant.'' Imperial Topaz was shocked--filled with both honor and awe. She had hope that she might get the opportunity to work on larger projects within the next millennia, but this promotion surpassed her wildest dreams. Imperial Topaz quickly accepted.

As Citrine's assistant Imperial Topaz was no longer spending her days cataloging life forms. Instead, she was working with Citrine to develop bio-technology that would be used by the Gems in centuries to come--ships, weapons, armor, communication systems and so much more.  Together, Imperial Topaz and Citrine even contributed research to developing a method that would allow Gems to be mass produced on other planets, eliminating the threat of exhausting all of the minerals from the homeworld. In addition to advancing her scientific studies, Citrine also taught Imperial Topaz the basics of combat. Although she wasn't the strongest Gem, Commander Citrine was a monster on the battlefield. Her assistant however, wasn't made for an all out brawl. So instead, Imperial Topaz was taught the art of stealthy, planned attacks--in which she excelled. Although intimidated and somewhat afraid of her employer's physical and intellectual prowess, Imperial Topaz was overjoyed just being able to do what she loved. Then one day, something rather odd happened.

Two guards brought a ''traitor'' by the name of Tiger's Eye to the SRD building for examination. This in itself was not unusual as Commander Citrine and her assistant were often put in charge of ''examining'' traitors and prisoners. During these times, Citrine and Imperial Topaz were allowed to test their latest, experimental biotech developments on a helpless Gem. For Imperial Topaz, these procedures were ''strictly science.'' However, for Citrine, these procedures were fun and she often made sure to test the most dangerous, unstable technology using the most painful methods. She didn't take well to traitors. What made this particular traitor unusual, was that she claimed to be able to see space, time, and the fabric of the universe. Citrine and Imperial Topaz were tasked with verifying this claim. If this were true, their superiors would then want the SRD to develop a way to extract or transfer this ability to those who could put this vision to ''better use.''  

Years passed and Imperial Topaz had yet to even verify if the ''Sight'' even existed. Citrine had become frustrated with the silent gem and left her assistant in charge of the project long ago. Now, it was just Imperial Topaz and the strange, silent Tiger's Eye. Day after day, Imperial Topaz would run diagnostics, perform dissections, and administer drugs. However, she wasn't experimenting on the Gem to verify the existence of the ''Sight.'' She had given up on that ages ago. Now, Imperial Topaz was just poking and prodding at Tiger's Eye to test her resolve. You see, Imperial Topaz was fascinated by this strange, silent gem's willpower. She had experimented on countless subjects over the course of her lifetime and all of them would scream out in aguish and eventually, they would enter a state of depression. Tiger's Eye never screamed. The Gem was perfectly capable of speech as she did occasionally mumble to herself, but she never screamed and she never seemed to ''break.''

''How do you do it,'' Imperial Topaz asked.  She wasn't expecting an answer as Imperial Topaz had asked this question many times before and was given no response. But this time, the strange, silent gem answered, looking into Imperial Topaz's eyes through the prison screen as she spoke.

''You have so much potential,'' she said. ''I can see it. You can do so much for the universe. But you cannot do it here just yet.'' It was the first time that the traitor had ever directly addressed her.

''What else do you see,'' Imperial Topaz asked, choosing her words slowly and carefully in an attempt to coax the strange gem to continue speaking. Tiger's Eye fell silent. The laboratory door opened. Citrine and two guards entered the examination chamber.

''She's in the cell,'' Citrine said, pointing the guards in the direction of Tiger's Eye and Imperial Topaz. Swiftly and silently, the guards made their way to the strange, quiet Gem and removed her from her cell. They grabbed Tiger's Eye's  bound arms and  hoisted her a few feet from the ground. Then, they began to make their way back toward the exit.  Imperial Topaz ran over to her commander. 

''Commander Citrine,'' Imperial Topaz asked. ''Where are they taking her?''

''Execution,'' Citrine replied. There was a hit of a smile on her face. ''She's taken up more than enough of our time and resources don't you think?''

''But the sight!'' injected Imperial Topaz

''She's lying,'' stated Citrine. ''The traitor just wants to extend her lifespan. ''

''But Commander Citrine, I spoke to her! She spoke to me! I looked into her eyes and there was _something_ there!'' Imperial Topaz was pleading now. ''Just let me move her to my off-world research facility. In a few years I could see res--''

''And what,'' interrupted Citrine. ''Fall even further behind on our projects? I think not. You've wasted too much time with this failed experiment. I thought I taught you better than this.''

Imperial Topaz had no intentions of disobeying her commanding officer. She just wasn't ready to let go of her specimen. Tiger's Eye was just beginning to show progress. If she really could see all of space, time, and the universe, then the amount of knowledge that Gems could obtain would be limitless. All Imperial Topaz needed were a few more years on an off world base.

Acting quickly, Imperial Topaz drew her weapon and subdued the two guards--fleeing the scene with Tiger's Eye before Citrine could react. As the prison break alarm sounded, Imperial Topaz made her way to the SRD's docking station with Tiger's Eye, cutting down several squads of guards on the way. Imperial Topaz could hear Commander Citrine's infuriated voice as she and her specimen hijacked a ship and ejected into space.

''It'll just be a few years,'' Imperial Topaz assured herself as she plotted a course for her private, off world laboratory. ''No more than a century.'' She took a deep breath and continued. '' I'll bring back  promising results and Commander Cit--'' A sharp pain interrupted Imperial Topaz's words and slowly, everything began to fade to black. She could already feel herself retreating into her gemstone for recovery.  Imperial Topaz was mortally wounded.

''You can't do it here,'' said a distorted voice.

Because the insides of her ship were not rusted or dirty, Imperial Topaz decided that not much time had passed since her recovery began. Upon exiting her empty ship, Imperial Topaz also predicted that she had been taken to a moon based on the atmosphere and the view of a large planet on the horizon.

''Oh hey,'' called a voice. ''You're awake.'' 

Imperial Topaz turned to see Tiger's Eye leaning against the rear of the hijacked ship. Imperial Topaz proceeded to draw her weapon.

''Answers,'' Imperial Topaz demanded. ''Now.''

''Sorry about stabbing you earlier,'' Tiger's Eye said. Despite having a blade pointed at her, the Gem was rather calm. ''I didn't mean to get you caught up in one of my 'episodes.' ''

''Episodes?'' Imperial Topaz questioned.

''Yeah,'' Tiger's Eye responded. ''I sometimes do this thing where the very force of the universe compels me to do or say something. Although, this is the longest it's ever lasted. I guess the universe just really wanted you to help me.''

Imperial Topaz pressed the tip of her katar to Tiger's Eye's throat. She was beginning to lose her temper. ''Help you? You nearly kill me, take control of my ship, and bring me to some random moon and you expect me to help you ?''

Tiger's Eye still responded calmly. ''Look,'' she began, looking up into Imperial Topaz's eyes for the second time. ''The universe wants me to save it. I know it does because I can see what it wants. I can feel it.  And for whatever reason, it wanted you to tag along. Now, I don't know where we are any more than you do. So just put that thing away. If the universe wanted you to kill me, I would've died long before now. ''

Imperial Topaz couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that she had risked her life, her career for this obviously insane being. She had to go back. Imperial Topaz decided that she had to return to Homeworld. She would take whatever sick, twisted punishment Commander Citrine had waiting for her. She would even fuse with her again if that's what it took. Quickly, Imperial Topaz returned to the inside of her ship and attempted to contact any Gem in the vicinity. No reply came over the communication system.

''This doesn't make any sense,'' said a puzzled Imperial Topaz. ''Everyplace in the galaxy that's catalogued should have--''  A horrible feeling washed over Imperial Topaz as she checked the navigation system and read the bold, red print:

YOU HAVE ENTERED UNCATALOGED SPACE . UNLESS YOU ARE A CATALOGUER WITH AN ESTABLISHED RETURN CONTACT, PLEASE TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO CATALOGUED SPACE.

Personality:

Imperial Topaz values science and research above all else. She spends most of her time dissecting organisms and isn't much of  the social type. She can display awkward speech patterns when not giving a detailed findings report and has a tendency to be extremely blunt. She often only looks at the facts in a situation and does not put a lot of faith in ''feelings'' or ''hopes.'' This often makes her appear cold and heartless to her teammates and friends. As she was previously a cataloguer for the SRD, Imperial Topaz has extensive knowledge of millions of organisms. 

Abilities:

Imperial Topaz wields a katar with retractable blades on her right hand. She is able to electrically charge the blades in order to shock or stun opponents. Although excellent in stealthy combat, Imperial Topaz's skill in battle comes from being able to stalk her opponent and plan a surprise attack. Topaz can be put at a severe disadvantage if taken by surprise or faced with a combat situation in which she has to ''think on her feet.'' Made for research expeditions, Imperial Topaz is not as physically strong as other gems. However, she is extremely agile.

 

Trivia:

  *  Although she is generally confident and appears void of emotion, Imperial Topaz fears the wrath of Citrine like a pope fears the wrath of God. Imperial Topaz has seen Commander Citrine at her very best and very worst, and part of the reason for her continued travels with Tiger's Eyes stems from her deep fear of Citrine's punishment.
  *  Imperial Topaz has fused only once with Commander Citrine. Together, Topaz and Citrine form Amber, a near-perfect fusion with incredible intelligence, strength, speed, agility, and charisma. Although Commander Citrine greatly enjoyed their fusion, Imperial Topaz felt as if madness was seeping into her very being, coaxing her to give into savagery and bring the disgusting, impure lower masses to their knees. Upon separating, Imperial Topaz retreated into her gem for over two weeks as she recovered from the mental damage. Since then, Imperial Topaz has developed a fear of fusion.
  * Golden Citrine and Imperial Topaz (the actual gemstones) were often mistaken for one another in the days of old.
  * Commander Citrine views Imperial Topaz as her ''prized creation.''
  * After Topaz escaped with Tiger's Eye, Citrine appealed to her superiors for a search party. Her request was denied as her superiors had ''more important matters to attend to.'' However, as compensation, they did allow Citrine to attempt to make another assistant. Citrine tried and tried to create another topaz, but none of the replacement Topaz's were suitable assistants. Citrine treats all of the other Topaz's as failed experiments.
  * Blue Topaz although brilliant had an unnatural thirst for genocide and is currently locked away in a prison
  * Precious Topaz physically resembles Imperial Topaz the most, but lacks her intelligence and skill in battle
  * White Topaz shares almost nothing with Imperial Topaz. She is large, bulky, and currently works in a soldier unit.
  * Mystic Topaz is the closest Citrine has gotten to recreating Imperial Topaz. Mystic Topaz blames Imperial Topaz for her creation and the mistreatment of her and the other Topaz's (whom she calls her children) Mystic Topaz can also fuse with Citrine creating Black Amber.




	2. Tiger's Eye

Name: Tiger's Eye

Nicknames: Tiger, T, T.E. , Sis, Universe Tiger, Ty

Race: Gem

Gender: Genderless

Gemstone: Tiger's Eye

Occupation: Scouting Gem

Friends/Associates: Pietersite (Adopted Sister)

                                        Imperial Topaz

                                        Tourmalinated Quartz

                                        Chrysocolla

                                        Other members of the Peacemakers

Weapon: Kusarigama

Background:

Before even the ancient race known as the Gems existed, it was said that the universe contained the two most beautiful, powerful spectacles of creation that could ever be witnessed: The birth of a star and the birth of a planet. It seemed only natural then, that the Gems attempt to assimilate this beauty into their race of beings. Although they could not harness the gasses from a rising star, the Gems were able to harness and create Gems from newborn planets. As sediments mixed and meteors slammed into a young planet, a group of Gem superiors ordered that a small batch of Gems be created from the molten, rising planet.  Over the course of 50 years, the Gems performed countless attempts to create life from the minerals of the newborn planet. However, technology for creating Gems on a world that wasn't the Homeworld did not yet exist. So, there were countless failures. But, there were also two cases of success. From the molten, mixing planet the Gems Pietersite and Tiger's Eye were born.

Unfortunately for the Gem superiors who commissioned the project, Pietersite and Tiger's Eye were no different than the average Homeworld Gem. They were not faster, stronger, smarter, or even taller than Gems made on Homeworld. Gem superiors watched the pair for thousands of years before giving up on them. The superiors watch them summon average weapons, make average scores on their scouting exams, and behave like average citizens. Never again would the superiors waste precious time and resources on harvesting material from the dangerous surface of a rising planet.

Tiger's Eye and Pietersite always knew that they were being watched by their people. In the beginning, the two thought that perhaps it was normal. From what Tiger's Eye and her ''sister'' understood, they had been made in a very difficult process. So, initially, they thought that their lives were constantly under surveillance to ensure that they were genetically stable. However, the watching continued for thousands of years.  While Pietersite was too nervous to voice her concern, Tiger's Eye constantly asked her fellow Gems about the reason behind their being watched.

''Hey,'' she would ask to her friends, associates, or co workers ''Are any of you guys constantly being watched? Like literally constantly being watched? As in everyday there is a different person trailing you?'' These questions were generally received with odd, silent stares.

''I just don't get it,'' Tiger's Eye would tell her sister. ''They aren't invisible. So why doesn't anyone else see them?'' Her sister would just shrug.

The constant following caused the sisters to become wary of stepping out of line. After all, what if they were to be captured or killed the moment that they do something out of the ordinary? So, Tiger's Eye and her sister tried their hardest to live average lives. They chose an average  scouting career, learned to use average weapons, and lived like average citizens of Homeworld. Tiger's Eye and Pietersite figured that this must have worked because the following eventually stopped.

''Finally, '' Tiger's Eye said to her sister. ''Now we can have some fun.''

Without a doubt, Tiger's Eye loved her job as a scout. She got to traverse the entire galaxy, making peace with intelligent life forms of cataloged planets and putting a stop to those who would threaten the safety of weaker species. For some reason, this made Tiger's Eye unbelievably happy. When she looked down at a planet at peace and bursting with life, Tiger's Eye experienced a sensation that could only be described as ''right.'' Her sister seemed to enjoy their work just as much as Pietersite occasionally cried soft, silent tears of joy as she signed peace treaties into action. Tiger's Eye, Pietersite, and their squad of soldiers became known throughout dozens of solar systems. They were the galaxy's Peacemakers and wanted nothing more than to live up to their names forever--keeping the ever expanding galaxy in a state of peace, prosperity, and happiness. The Peacemaker's lofty ambitions soon proved to be as naive as they sounded.

When Tiger's Eye and her fellow Peacemakers were called to Homeworld,  she thought nothing of it. Scouting units were often called back to Homeworld for ship maintenance, various upgrades, and new assignments. However, as they approached the Homeworld, the Peacemakers saw that thousands of other scouting units had also been summoned. Was there something wrong? Did Homeworld need to be evacuated? The moment that her ship landed, Tiger's Eye leapt onto the ground and started asking questions.

''There will be an assembly held in a few moments.'' This was the only answer that she was given.

Having been a Peacemaker for thousands of years, Tiger's Eye was prepared for a wide variety of announcements at the assembly. A natural disaster, a plague, seemingly-unavoidable doom, a planet core meltdown, and an invading army from a distant galaxy were all among the announcements that Tiger's Eye was prepared for. The assembly presentation screens flickered on and the large mass of Gems that had gathered at the assembly grew silent. Tiger's Eye prepared herself for the worst.

''Salutations,'' said a golden Gem as she appeared on the screen. She was calm, collected, and her gem shone with the purest, most radiant golden color that Tiger's Eye had ever seen. However, the moment that she gazed upon the golden Gem, Tiger's Eye shivered with a sickening feeling. ''Before I begin, I'd just like to thank each of you for your continued service. I'd also like to thank our superiors for always guiding us toward a bright future. You have been summoned here because as far as we've catalogued, no other species in the galaxy is like us. No other species has been around longer, gathered as much wisdom, or fought as many battles for justice as we have. This is why our superiors have determined that it is our responsibility to guide the creatures of this galaxy and eventually the universe into eternal prosperity and unity. Unfortunately, because we do not reproduce like other organisms, as time goes on and we lose brave soldiers to our cause, our numbers only decrease. And because Homeworld's remaining supply of minerals is not quickly renewed, we, the protectors of this universe, face the threat of extinction. Tell me, if we die, who will lead the species of this galaxy toward the light? Who will teach them how to form governments, survive their planet's natural disasters, or build pyramids to house the crucial texts for their respective cultures? Who will keep stronger, more intelligent life forms from taking advantage of the weak? You see, if the universe is to survive, then we must live. We must. So, without further delay, I give you the answer to our eternal dilemma--a machine that will allow us to reproduce using minerals from other planets. I give you the gift of life.''

The golden Gem motioned behind her where another, perhaps even more radiant golden Gem stood holding a switch. She pulled the switch's lever and a large platform hovered down onto the stage. Atop of the platform sat a machine that was perhaps the most terrifying thing that Tiger's Eye had ever seen. It was a syringe-like device that resembled a bacteriophage and made Tiger's Eye wish that it would spontaneously combust. She didn't understand why she hated the device that was titled the gift of life and supposedly contained the key for the survival of her people. Everyone else around her was applauding with joy--even Pietersite.

Tiger's Eye had a long, difficult debate with her team following the assembly. She did not want to load the ''gift'' onto her ship.

''I just have a horrible feeling about it,'' she pleaded. ''I can just see things going south really quickly.''

Despite her efforts to persuade her team, ultimately the Peacemakers decided follow the orders from their superiors , fitting their ship with the gift of life. Their first mission was to begin immediately. They were to take the gift of life to cataloged planet 113-824. The Peacemakers knew the planet well. Several hundred years ago, Tiger's Eye and her team saved the planet's inhabitants from its unstable core.

When they arrived at cataloged planted 113-824, the Peacemakers were received with celebration and open arms. Tiger's Eye should have been happy to see the smiling faces of her old friends. However, worry was the only expression that she could muster.

''Please don't worry,'' said a representative of 113-824 as inhabitants of the planet transported and set up the gift of life in the desired location. ''It is an honor be in position to save the lives of those who saved my life and the lives of my parents before me. As far as we're concerned, this planet is your home too.'' The life form's kind words did nothing to soothe Tiger's Eye's uneasiness. And when the day of the gift's activation was upon them, Tiger's Eye was forced to watch in horror as her fears were realized.

After the machine was put in place, the Peacemakers and several government officials of 113-824 stood side by side watching the gift of life as it flickered with purple light. First, there was silence. Then, there was a low-pitched humming noise as the legs of the machine straightened, hoisting the body of the gift several meters high. A drill emerged from the base of the device and began to spin rapidly, drilling into the ground with a loud, mechanical noise as the legs slowly lowered the gift of life onto the ground. Initially, Tiger's Eye thought that perhaps her worry had all been for nothing. However, when she turned to the residents of 113-824 that previously stood beside her, Tiger's Eye 's eyes widened with horror. The gift of life was emitting a frequency that was crippling the native species--preventing them from going near the machine.

''We've got to turn it off,'' Tiger's Eyes pleaded to her team.

''It doesn't go 'off' sis,'' Pietersite said, gripping her sister's shoulders. ''Our superiors only provided us instructions on its activation.'' Heads hanging low, Pietersite and the other Peacemakers hung their heads and made their way back to the ship. ''I'm sorry Tiger, but we have our orders. Maybe they'll be fine as long as they don't get too close.''

From space, Tiger's Eye saw that this was not the case. After a week  of observing the gift's effects, Tiger could see a dead, gray patch of earth  spreading form where the gift of life had been injected into the planet.  It was at this moment, that the visions began. For a brief moment, Tiger's Eye glanced at the planet and she thought that its gray patch was once again blue. A sudden feeling of intense joy fill her soul and Tiger's Eye couldn't help but let out a laugh. But then, Tiger's Eye blinked and the patch of blue was gray again.

Over the next few thousand years, the Peacemakers made hundreds of trips to and from the Homeworld--each time loading more and more gifts of life onto their ship. All of the planets that Tiger's Eye and her companions  once saved now served as stepping stones, carrying the race of Gems further away from extinction with each step. The years began to blur together for Tiger's Eye who was forced  time and time again to stand silently and watch the terrible machine activate and root itself to the host planet. But that wasn't even the worst part. For Tiger's Eye, the worst part of bringing gifts of life to other worlds was that as each gift activated and brought death, Tiger's Eye could see the joy of the past and the joy that could have been in front of her.  Although she could still hear the rumble of the drill and the screams echoing around her, Tiger's Eye could not see the machine. She could only see joyful beings, running along their beautiful, bountiful planets. She could see the very joyous birth of their existence--watching them evolve from single-celled organisms into radiant, complex life forms. She could see their possible futures, each filled with new discovery and knowledge as they overcame differences and learned to love themselves and others on a level that was beyond what Tiger's Eye could express with words. Tiger's Eye yearned for this happiness to become a reality. But apparently, she was the only one among her team would could see these joyful yet saddening sights.

''You guys can see it can't you,'' Tiger's Eye occasionally asked. The years of planet killing had slowly driven her away from her usual, curious, adventurous, and occasionally hot-headed personality. Now, Tiger's Eye rarely spoke as she could not always see her team. She could always hear them, but she could not always see them. ''Please. Somebody tell me that they can see it.'' Tiger's Eye wanted so badly to put a stop to these ''gifts,'' but she could never find the strength to take action. After all, the Gems had given her and her sister life. Did they really deserve to die of exaction? What gave her the authority to determine whether an entire species lives or dies?

Catalogued planet 996-531--that was the next planet on the Peacemaker's ever expanding list. Although she had never been there, the mention of the planet's catalogue number gave Tiger's Eye an odd feeling. When she and the other Peacemakers arrived at the small brown planet, Tiger's Eye understood the cause for her uneasiness the moment that she stepped foot on the planet's surface. For the texture of the ground beneath her feet was a texture that she had come to know and love. It was the texture of her gemstone. Catalogued planet 996-531 was her birthplace, her home.

''Stay strong,'' said Pietersite, placing a firm hand on her sister's shoulder. ''Let's just get this over with.''

Still under one billion years old, Tiger's Eye's birthplace was still fairly young and void of life. As the gift of life began to hum, Tiger's Eye hoped that perhaps she would be spared from watching a possible bright future of her home planet--and she was. However, what she saw instead was more heart-breaking than any possible future could be. As the gift of life powered on, Tiger's Eye began to see the world differently. Her eyes took her back through time to the very beginning of the planet's life. As the gift of life stood on its legs and ejected its drill, Tiger's Eye was watching herself and her sister being born. She felt herself fall to her knees and begin to silently weep.

''This shouldn't be happening,'' she said. ''The universe is too beautiful.''

Tiger's Eye's eyes widened as an unnatural rush of energy rushed into her body. The Gem blinked her eyes and found that she could see again. Now there was a vivid image of her birthplace and the gift of life in front of her. The gift of life seemed to be getting closer. Puzzled, Tiger's Eye looked down at her hands and feet. Her weapon was drawn and she was sprinting toward the machine. There was something else too--a presence within her that was moving her forward. It wasn't a consciousness but an all consuming force that wanted to bring peace, order and love to every reality in existence. It was the force of the universe and for the first time in thousands of years, Tiger's Eye felt ''right'' again. Together, Tiger's Eye and the universe sprinted towards the gift of life, positioning themselves directly under the lowering drill. Strengthening the blades of her weapon with the force of the universe, Tiger's Eye attempted to stop the drill by catching it between her blades.

The drill was relentless, forcing Tiger's Eye deep into the planet's crust. She was pushed hundreds of meters down and her body was put under unfathomable agony. However, being one with the universe was more than worth every minute of pain. No matter what, Tiger's Eye couldn't let the tip of the drill touch the planet.  After several minutes, the drill was ground to a halt and destroyed by Tiger's Eye. After stopping the drill, the universe left Tiger's Eye. However, that did not stop her from emerging from the deep hole and mercilessly tearing the gift of life to pieces in a fit of joy.

''I can see,'' laughed Tiger's Eye as she cried exhausted tears of happiness. ''I can see.'' 

After resting for a while, Tiger's Eye searched for her team. As she expected, they had left the planet. Pietersite and the other Peacemakers probably assumed that Tiger's Eye had died upon impact with the drill. Although she worried for her sister, Tiger's Eye thought that things were better this way. For the force of the universe had a new task for her: It wanted her to save it.  Tiger's Eye wished to begin her mission by destroying gifts of life. After finding a way to leave 996-513, Tiger's Eye made her way back to each and every planet on which her Peacemakers had placed a gift of life. Occasionally guided by the universe, Tiger's Eye attempted to atone for her mistakes. Along the way, she killed dozens of fellow Gems who were stationed to protect the parasitic machines. Tiger's Eye did not enjoy killing her own people, but for the sake of the universe, it had to be done. One by one, the machines fell and planets slowly began to recover.  It took several thousand years, but eventually, Tiger's Eye had removed almost all of gifts of life that were placed by the Peacemakers. Now only one settlement remained on catalogued planet 113-824. Much to Tiger's Eye's surprise, Pietersite was awaiting her arrival.

''It's so good to see you alive,'' said her sister. ''But I can't let you destroy them. I know that you've been retracing our route but I haven't told anyone. If you just drop it, nobody has to know.''

''But you don't understand,'' Tiger's Eye said. ''I can see the universe. Like literally sis.  It's suffering. I need to help it. I'm going to help it.''

Pietersite didn't say a word. She only stepped forward, grabbed her sister's chin and tilted her head so that she could look into her eyes.

''Oh my stars,'' Pietersite  said after a moment. ''You really can see something can't you ?'' She released her sister's chin and stepped back.

''I can explain everything in detail later,'' began Tiger's Eye. ''But right now I have to --''

Tiger's Eye was slammed to the ground. She looked up to see her sister twirling the balls of her meteor hammer above her head.

''Just go away Ty,'' Pietersite pleaded. ''I don't want to have to fight you.''

''Then don't.'' Tiger's Eye stood and drew her weapon. ''You don't always have to do what the superiors tell you.''

Pietersite chuckled. '' You do remember that in our little 'family' I'm the oldest right? When we were young you always stood up for me and made sure that I was taken care of. I love you for that and I will always love you for that, but you do remember that I'm older than you right?''

''Yeah,'' Tiger's Eye answered. ''What's that have to do with anything?''

''Well sis,'' Pietersite began. ''What exactly do you think I was doing in those years before you were born? Do you think that I was just sitting in a room waiting on you? ''

Prepared to strike, Pietersite and Tiger's Eye began so slowly circle each other. '' Get to the point. You know I don't like long, boring stories. ''

''I was suffering Ty. I was suffering because I could see it too--the universe. And at first, I couldn't understand it because I loved being alive. But I eventually got the message: The universe wants to die. It wants to implode in on itself or burn out like a dying flame. It wants me to kill it.''

Tiger's Eye was insulted. Her sister was mocking her. Tiger's Eye leapt forward and engaged in combat with her sister. ''This is serious Pietersite! You're not making any sense.''

''That's what I thought, '' Pietersite  said as she landed a blow to her sister's torso. Tiger's Eye recovered, wrapping the chain of her weapon around Pietersite's left leg and pulling her to the ground. ''Especially when you were born,'' Pietersite continued, springing to her feet and unarming her sister by yanking her leg forward, tearing Tiger's Eye's weapon out of her hand.  ''You were like a light for me. But there was so much pain.'' Taking advantage of the situation, Pietersite proceeded to launch a relentless attack with her meteor hammer. Tiger's Eye dodged as many attacks as she could, but she and her sister both knew that Tiger's Eye could only evade for so long.  ''Every time I looked around, I could see visions of death and destruction and chaos. And they made me happy. I didn't want them to, but they did. Then, when you and I became Peacemakers, I was put through even more anguish. All of those tears I cried at treaty signings were not tears of joy. They were tears of sadness, pain, and hate. The universe begged me to put it out of its misery. '' Tiger's Eye fell short on an evasion, taking a blow to the face as a result. She hit the ground with a resounding thud. Tiger's Eye could not move her limbs. Pietersite walked over to her sister and lifted her from the ground by her hair.  ''And then we attended the assembly. The gifts  of life were my saving grace. And I know that is a horrible thing to say, but for every  planet that we ruined, I felt less and less pain. Each time I saw a drill touch the surface of a life-filled planet, everything just felt right. ''

Pietersite lifted her sister higher until their eyes met.

''I don't see what you see,'' Tiger's Eye's sister spoke apologetically. ''I'm sorry. But as far as I'm concerned, the universe wants chaos, entropy, and destruction. I don't want to fight you, but I don't want to go back to that unbearable pain ever again. I can't. I have my orders. ''

Tiger's Eye hung limp in her sister's hand, staring into her eyes. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed the pain, the suffering, and the sadness in Pietersite's eyes. To think that all this time, her sister was experiencing an unbearable pain that was possibly worse than hers. How could she have been such a horrible sister? ''Do you really think that the universe wants to die,'' asked Tiger's Eye.

''Honestly,'' Pietersite answered as she sat Tiger's Eye back onto the ground. ''I just think it wants to know which of us will win.'' Pietersite then proceeded to contact a nearby squad of guard. ''The traitor that I warned you of did indeed arrive and as promised, I have dealt  with her. Please send a retrieval team.''

Just as Tiger's Eye began to regain feeling in her body, a team of guards arrived and restrained her.

''Take her to Homeworld,'' Pietersite ordered. ''Notify our superiors that she claims to have some sort of 'sight' that allows her to see the entire universe. ''

As Tiger's Eye was packed into a prison transport ship, she could feel the force of the universe begin to flow into her. In this form, Tiger's Eye could have effortlessly escaped the small spacecraft. However, Tiger's Eye remained in captivity.

''I can see all things in all of  space and all of  time,'' stated Tiger's Eye during her questioning on Homeworld. '' I can see the potential of all things good and evil. I experience the totality of the universe as its force flows through me. '' As a reward for her ''honest response,'' the superiors sentenced Tiger's Eye to indefinite ''examination'' under the supervision  of a Gem the superiors referred to as ''The Radiant Savage.''

Following her questioning, guards proceeded to escort a silent Tiger's Eye to a large, underground laboratory. There, Tiger's Eye spent the next several decades--each day faced with a new form of painful torture or examination. This time was well spent however as Tiger's Eye used this precious time to immerse herself within the force of the universe that inhabited her--both Tiger's Eye and the force learning about and discovering each other.  Now, more than ever, Tiger's Eye was determined to save the universe. If she could rescue the universe before her sister destroyed it, then Tiger's Eye could give all of the universe, including her sister, a joyous existence. After everything within Tiger's Eye was sorted out, she escaped to a distant moon where she and a chosen companion would begin their quest to bring light to the universe.

Personality:

Tiger's Eye is headstrong, stubborn,  and possess a strong moral compass. After all that she has experienced in her lifetime, Tiger's Eye's sprit is not easily broken and she is not easily silenced. While she has her serious moments, Tiger's Eye is normally a laid-back adventurer with a heightened sense of curiosity. She likes to make jokes and have a good time. Members of the Peacemakers said that Tiger's Eye ''makes work seem like fun.'' While Tiger's Eye doesn't have any problems with authority,  she does believe that no single authority, regardless of size or intelligence, has the right to use other life forms or civilizations to fulfill selfish desires without their consent.  She also supports the idea that every species has a right to free will. The greatest joy in Tiger's Eye's life has always come from selflessly helping others.  As a ''sister,'' Tiger's Eye cares deeply for Pietersite to the extent where the fact that she is essentially her mortal enemy doesn't even phase her.

In what Tiger's Eyes calls her ''universe form,'' she is a completely different person. Universe Tiger's Eye is normally silent and can appear cold and distant as a result. In her universe form, Tiger's Eye is still capable of speech. However, because the universe is not accustomed to having a means of verbal communication, Universe Tiger's Eye tends to stay quiet. Unlike her regular form, in her universe form, Tiger's eye can be very selfish and cowardly at times as the force of the universe does not wish to lose its host to combat or any other external event. As a result, Universe Tiger's Eye often aims to kill her opponents quickly and mercilessly rather than subdue them. Because the force of the universe values life as a whole over the existence of individuals, Universe Tiger's Eye does not think to save innocent bystanders or minimize collateral damage. She will do whatever it takes to achieve a desired result in the name of self interest and self preservation.

Abilities:                                                                                      

In both forms, Tiger's Eye wields a Kusarigama. In her regular form, Tiger's Eye prefers close-ranged combat, using the blades of her weapon to slice and stab opponents. The weapon's chain is used for defense. Despite her size, Tiger's Eye throws very heavy punches and has a decent amount of agility. On the contrary, Universe Tiger's Eye prefers long ranged combat, using the weapon to grab and throw objects in addition to rapid slicing from a distance. Also, while in her universe form, Tiger's Eye's natural strength, speed, agility, and endurance are doubled. She is also able to apply the strength of the universe to her weapon, increasing its durability and sharpness. This power can be increased in dire situations, but if Tiger's Eye relies too heavily on the universe's power, she risks shattering her  weapon or gem with the intense, outward forces. Tiger's Eye is also able to tap the tips of her blades together, producing various sound wave frequencies. Tiger's Eye has the gift of ''sight'' that allows her to see the universe in its entirety. Her visions are strictly sight. So there are no sounds or other physical sensations experienced in her visions. These visions are shown by the force of the universe and cannot be summoned, controlled, stopped, requested, or predicted. Likewise, when Tiger's Eye becomes Universe Tiger's Eye is also unpredictable.

Trivia:

  * The force of the universe selected Imperial Topaz to accompany Tiger's Eye on her journey for two reasons:  To protect its host when the force is not present  and a second reason known only to the force of the universe
  * Tiger's Eye represents the portion of the universe's will to create and give life. (Like the birth of a planet)
  * Pietersite is also able to see the universe in its entirety and represents  the universe's tendency to destroy and create chaos--better known as the law of entropy (Like the destruction of a star whose leftover gases and sediment lead to the birth of a planet)
  * Pietersite's weapon is a meteor hammer with two heavy, spiked hammers on an long, thick, and heavy chain.
  * If Tiger's Eye or Pietersite were to fuse with any Gem, the resulting fusion would also be gifted with the ''sight'' and would have a Universe form. As a result of this, neither gems have ever fused before
  * Where Universe Tiger's Eye is quiet, emotionally stable, observant, and would rather not endanger herself unless necessary, Universe Pietersite is more talkative, emotionally unstable, reckless, and more violent.
  *  In theory, if Tiger's Eye and Pietersite were to fuse, the resulting fusion would be a Gem embodiment of the universe.
  *  Tiger's Eye occasionally feel ''invincible'' because the nature of the ''sight'' and Universe Tiger's Eye often  guarantee the immediate threat level of certain dangers.
  *  After helping Imperial Topaz overcome her fear of fusion and learning to trust another with the gift of the ''sight,'' Tiger's Eye and Imperial Topaz fused, becoming Gold-Sheen Obsidian (Occasionally called GSO) in order to defeat Commander Citrine.   As a fusion, GSO is a confident, intelligent Gem. She possesses Imperial Topaz's intellect, bluntness, and love for science along with Tiger's Eye's selflessness, relaxed demeanor, and curiosity. Due to their combined confidence, GSO can be extremely cocky and rarely checks herself for mistakes. GSO wields wrist gauntlets with retractable chain sword whips. These chain sword whips can be used for ranged or close combat and can also be electrically charged or clinked together to produce various frequencies. GSO also has a Universe form.




	3. Chrysocolla

Name: Chrysocolla

Nicknames: Cy,  Olla,

Race: Gem

Gender: Genderless

Gemstone: Chrysocolla

Occupation: Guard

Friends/Associates: Zincite

                               Homeworld Guard Association Members

                               Tiger's Eye

                                Imperial Topaz

                               Tourmalinated Quartz

Weapon: Staff

Background:

Zincite was deemed guilty of terrorism, treason, genocide, intentional destruction of Homeworld property, and attempted violence toward her superiors. The fire-red Gem was to be transported to a special prison that sat deep within uncatalogued  space--so deep in fact, that it would take the fastest, most recent ship model ten years to get there. After arriving at the prison, Zincite would be executed for her crimes against her people. As a high class guard, Chrysocolla was responsible for taking the traitor to the designated planet. She had fifteen years transport Zincite from Homeworld to Station 0.

Tall, lean, and an excellent wielder of her weapon, Chrysocolla was literally made be a member of the Homeworld Guard Association. From the day that she began guarding superiors and transporting shipments of gifts of life, Chrysocolla had been a cut above her fellow association members. Quiet yet stern and powerful when speaking, Chrysocolla rapidly rose to the highest ranks. Loyal to the superiors and unyielding to traitors, Chrysocolla was the superior's first choice for this mission--a mission that would take diligence, patience, and, excellent navigational skills.

After receiving her orders, Chrysocolla packed Zincite into a transport ship and left Homeworld immediately. In 32 hours, her ship reached the edge of catalogued space and continued forward into the unknown reaches of space.  For weeks, Chrysocolla and her prisoner rode in total silence, the only sounds being the hum of the propulsion system and the occasional tap of Chrysocolla's head on the roof of the transport vehicle as she was a little too tall for the ship's seating. After three weeks of silent travel, another sound began to echo throughout the ship. The power-meter began flashing and beeping. The ship needed to be recharged.  Chrysocolla flew through space for a few more days before locating and landing on a plant-filled planet on which the transport vehicle's solar-powered systems could be restored.  After landing and ensuring that her prisoner was properly restrained and locked inside of the ship, Chrysocolla activated the security systems and left to find a high peak on which she could see the stars and record her location.  When Chrysocolla returned to her ship the following morning, the prison unit was wide open, and the prisoner was nowhere to be found.

''This can't be happening,'' Chrysocolla mumbled to herself worriedly as she check her system's security for breaches. ''If I lose this prisoner, I'll be demoted for sure. The security system wasn't even activated! How can this be happening?''

As her ship was still in charging position, Chrysocolla could not use it to search the jungle planet from the air. So, she did what any dedicated guard would and spent hours upon hours searching the radius of the landing zone.  Chrysocolla's prisoner was restrained with heavy machines on her arms and around her gem so she couldn't have gotten far. However, there was no sign that anyone other than Chrysocolla  herself had left from the landing radius of the spaceship. As the two suns of the jungle planet began to set, an exhausted Chrysocolla returned to her ship. She had searched the radius and beyond--yet, she still found no trace of her escaped prisoner.  Her life was ruined.

''Wow,'' came a voice from overhead. Chrysocolla looked up to see Zincite laying atop the transport ship. ''You sure can run. I expected you to get tired after a few hours, but it looks like you've got quite a bit of endurance.''

Instinctively, Chrysocolla leapt up onto the roof of her ship and drew her weapon. ''Where have you been and how did you escape,'' she asked.

''Whoa whoa whoa,'' Zincite said calmly. ''Relax. I've been up here all day. It was getting a bit cramped in there and I just wanted to stretch my legs. So, I let myself out. ''

''And how exactly did you manage to do that,'' Chrysocolla asked. ''You're still wearing your restraints.'' This was true. The fire-red Gem's arms were still bound together with large, heavy restraints.

''I just opened the door,'' Zincite answered jokingly.

Chrysocolla  was becoming aggravated. ''And how did you open the door?''

''Okay Okay, '' said Zincite. ''Didn't mean to get you all riled up.'' Still laying down, Zincite leaned back, and held up her feet. ''I opened it with these,'' she said. Then, using the weight of her arm restraints, she rolled over, launched herself into the air, performed several summersaults, and landed back on the roof of the ship.  She landed perfectly. ''When you've been lugging these restraints around for as long as I have,'' added Zincite. ''You learn to take care of yourself without your arms.''

Chrysocolla stood silently in awe. She had never seen anything move so fluidly and gracefully--especially not while wearing prison-grade restraints.  If anyone had ever claimed to have seen what she just witnessed, Chrysocolla would have thought them a liar. ''I don't understand,'' she began, shaking herself out of her trance. ''If you're able to open the prison door with just your feet,  then why haven't you escaped? Why didn't you escape?''

''Please,'' chucked Zincite. ''I've made plenty of escapes.  Now I just want to lay down and look up at the suns. Besides,'' continued the fire-red Gem as  she jumped down from the roof of the ship. Chrysocolla  made sure to follow. ''I did all of this for you.''

''For me?'' Chrysocolla grabbed hold of Zincite's shoulder and guided her back into the prison container.

''Well yeah,'' Zincite said. ''You seemed so stiff. I mean you didn't say a word for three weeks. The awkward silence was killing me. I thought that having you run around a little would loosen you up. Although, I didn't expect you to run for so long.''

Chrysocolla could not believe what she was hearing. In all of her years as a guard, she had never heard a prisoner act so strangely. Yet, as Zincite entered the container of the spaceship, Chrysocolla could see that she was being sincere. Chrysocolla made sure to reinforce the lock on the container door.

Although she had just been made a fool of, at least Chrysocolla's ship had fully charged in the time that she spent searching for Zincite. So Chrysocolla boarded her transport ship and left the green planet behind, returning to a long, slow journey that was still filled with silence.

''Aw come on,'' Zincite said, breaking the silence after roughly 80 hours. ''You're not still mad at me about making you get some exercise earlier are you? ''

Coldly, Chrysocolla snapped back at her prisoner. ''I don't know what you're trying to do , but I don't like it. Just keep quiet.''

''Well before we go back to our special silence, '' began Zincite. ''Can you at least tell me what you thought of that nebula we passed a little while back? ''

''What I thought of it?'' The question puzzled the guard Gem. It was true that she had flown past a milky, blue nebula several hours ago, but she hadn't really given the swirling mass of stardust and twinkling lights much thought. ''I suppose it was difficult to navigate around. ''

''Seriously? Difficult to navigate around? '' The fire-red Gem sounded somewhat disappointed. ''Nothing a little more  . . .  abstract?

''Tch,'' Chrysocolla was getting frustrated again. ''It's just a nebula. There are thousands of those.''

''Is that what they teach Gems in the association these days,'' said Zincite sarcastically. ''To have a complete disregard of the beauties of the universe? ''

Chrysocolla scoffed. "And what knowledge would you have of the association? ''

''Oh, nothing really,'' remarked a playful Zincite. ''Just that I used to be a part of it. You know, before I was branded as a terrorist.''

''I don't believe you.'' snapped Chrysocolla.  Zincite simply let out a laugh.

''Believe it pal,'' she said. ''Homeworld Unit 15116. I never reached your rank, but I was a guard nonetheless.'' Zincite raised her arms and showed Chrysocolla her restraints.  Chrysocolla hadn't noticed this before, but on the back of the arm locking devices was a small military emblem. Much to Chrysocolla's surprise, Zincite was telling the truth.

"How'd you end up a traitor then,'' Chrysocolla asked.  In response Zincite merely shrugged.

''Maybe I'll tell you one  of these days.''

The next few weeks upon the transport spacecraft were not spent in silence. Instead, Zincite and Chrysocolla found themselves slowly exchanging stories about their time spent in the Homeworld Guard Association. Zincite told Chrysocolla about her adventures in the early days, when the Gems began to extend their reach throughout the galaxy. Zincite served as a guard to several research units who were deployed into the unknown to catalogue planets and life forms. As many of the research Gems were not built for battle, guards like Zincite were deployed alongside them. Guards were responsible for the safety of their assigned researcher.

''Sure there was danger at every turn and new enemies around every corner,'' said Zincite dreamily. ''But I got to see so many beautiful things.'' The stories that Chrysocolla told her companion weren't as exciting. Although she was of high rank, Chrysocolla had never had to embark on any dangerous quests or protect a ship from a pack of interstellar thieves. Most Gems were even afraid to look at a Gem who was a high guard for the superiors. So far, Chrysocolla's most exciting adventures entailed ensuring the generally safe, problem-free delivery of gifts of life to scouts. Telling Zincite stories that were clearly boring, Chrysocolla couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed. However, Zincite genuinely seemed interested in her stories.

''You need to get out more,'' Zincite laughed. ''But your life is plenty interesting.''

 Roughly four weeks passed before Chrysocolla noticed the power gauge beeping. It had actually started beeping a week earlier. However, lost in conversations, Chrysocolla and Zincite didn't notice until the warning alarm announced itself over the ship's communication systems.  Having to make an emergency landing, Chrysocolla put her ship down on a large planet that consisted of 95 % water. Luckily, she was able to sit her spacecraft on a large slab of stone that floated atop the planet's liquid surface.

''See,'' said Zincite with a smile. ''Now wasn't that more enjoyable than that boring, quiet ride?''

It was. But, Chrysocolla didn't admit to anything.

''This planet has a very short night length,'' Chrysocolla said as she exited her ship and made her way to the container at the rear of the ship. ''It may take me a few days to get an accurate reading on the stars.''

''Fine by me,'' replied a content Zincite. ''It's not like I've got anything else to do.'' Suddenly, there was a loud , metallic clan heard at the rear of the ship. Zincite peered out of the small window of the door to the prison container. Chrysocolla had enabled a third reinforcement on the container door. ''Hey,'' Zincite exclaimed. ''What'd you do that for?

Chrysocolla smiled at Zincite for the first time since they met. ''Well according to some of your obviously exaggerated tales, you seem to have a knack of getting yourself out of places. Just because we've exchanged a few tales don't assume that I'm going to give you the chance to escape again. '' With that, Chrysocolla headed north along the enormous, barren stone slab.

Although Zincite waited in the container for days, she barely felt any time pass. Zincite found herself mesmerized by a tower of smoke on the horizon that would appear every day, in the same spot, at roughly the same time.

''I've got our location, '' said Chrysocolla as she walked toward her ship with a manual navigation set in her hands.  She walked over to her craft and checked the fuel gauge--her spacecraft was once again, fully charged. ''And it looks like the longer day-length sped up the charging process. So, we should be able to leave very soon.'' Hearing no response from the usually responsive Zincite, Chrysocolla peeked into the prison container. Zincite was still there. She appeared to be staring off into space. ''Well it's nice to see that you're still aboard the ship.''

Zincite ignored her companion's comment. ''Hey, do you see that tower of smoke over there?''

Chrysocolla turned. ''Yes. What of it? ''

''I think you should go check it out,'' Zincite said.

Chrysocolla  was puzzled again. ''Check it out?''

''You know,'' Zincite explained. ''Survey the area.''

''No,'' Chrysocolla stated. ''Why would I do that?''

''Because this planet is primarily aquatic. So to any of the probably-aquatic life forms here, fire would probably be a bad thing.''  Chrysocolla gave her prisoner a reserved stare. ''Come on,'' Zincite pleaded. ''Isn't being a guard about protecting those who need it?''

Chrysocolla knew that in uncataloged space, she was not supposed to interfere with any new species unless absolutely necessary. She also knew that if she were to disobey this rule, she might come across a life form that could kill her. Maybe Chrysocolla did it because she wanted to have an adventurous story to tell her companion. Perhaps she did it because she hadn't ever put much thought into what it meant to be a member of the Homeworld  Association.  Or, maybe Chrysocolla found herself sprinting toward the billowing tower of smoke because she had never saved anything before. Although she was a guard, Chrysocolla had never been faced with an opportunity to physically protect that which she guarded--or anything for that matter.

After a few minutes of running, Chrysocolla came to the edge of a cliff. At the bottom was the source of the smoke. As her companion suspected, there were bad things occurring on the ground below. Several muscular, aquatic life forms with brown skin, claws, and deep, black eyes were reaching into the water that surrounded the base of the cliff. They were pulling out what appeared to be smaller, less developed versions of similar organisms and shoving their small, squirming bodies onto a fire. They weren't eating them or using them for a purpose, the creatures were just burning their young. Drawing her weapon, Chrysocolla leapt down onto the base of the cliff.

''Hello other life forms,'' she said. Chrysocolla startled the beasts and they slowly retreated back as she continued to speak. ''If you can understand me, please cease these heinous acts of barbarism. I am a high guard of the superior B--'' A loud screech from one of the creatures interrupted her, springing forward with its claws outstretched. The others soon followed suit.

Wielding her staff with grace and power, Chrysocolla performed a right swing with her weapon, knocking the initiating life form to the ground. As the second lunging aggressor struck, Chrysocolla swiftly stepped back and swung left, hitting the beast in mid air and knocking it into the water. The attack of the third creature was easily dodged by Chrysocolla as she rotated to the left and struck the fourth creature in its face, knocking it to the ground before rotating back to her right, striking down the third creature.  Chrysocolla stood proud, firm, and unafraid as the three remaining creatures gurgled, growled and hissed at her before retreating into the water.

Quickly, Chrysocolla ran over to the burning pile of bodies and retrieved the squirming young life form. Although it was writhing in pain, it did not appear able to vocalize its suffering. Also, for an aquatic organism, the youngling was surprisingly flame resistant. As Chrysocolla held the small organism in her arm, rapidly patting out its flames, she caught a small glimmer of its black, beady eyes.

''Everything is going to be alright now,'' she mumbled to the youngling.

Then suddenly, Chrysocolla saw claws appear at the edges of the cliff bank. More aquatic creatures emerged from the banks, charging at Chrysocolla with full force. She counted at least twenty attackers. Chrysocolla struck much more quickly--she had to. Cradling the young life form in her arm, Chrysocolla was reduced to single-handed combat--striking the ravenous beasts left and right as she fought to protect the youngling that she had rescued. It was a challenging battle, but Chrysocolla sent the monsters retreating into the sea one by one--evading every attack from her aggressors.

Chrysocolla stood nervously at the base of the cliff. She knew that her opponents would more than likely return  in greater numbers. If she turned to scale the cliff with the youngling in her arms, they would surely be caught and ravaged. However, if she were to stay and fight, Chrysocolla knew that she would not have been able to last another two rounds. And what of the youngling? As an aquatic life form, surely it would need water. Already, numerous claws were beginning to appear on the banks. Chrysocolla readied herself for another battle. This time, she counted at least fifty creatures. The mob of aquatic aliens charged forth. However, before Chrysocolla collided with her aggressors, something came crashing down from the sky, landing between Chrysocolla and her opponents. A surprised Chrysocolla looked to see her prisoner standing before her, performing the strangest actions that she had ever witnessed.

Upon landing, Zincite quickly rolled onto her back and began to spin on the ground, her entire body moving and pulsing with rhythm. With her legs and feet, Zincite seemed to be controlling the nearby flames as they moved from the pile of burning corpses and created a wall of fire, separating her,  Chrysocolla and the rescued youngling from the attacking aliens.

''Get up the cliff,'' Zincite yelled to Chrysocolla as she flipped herself upright. ''Right now!''

''You're restrained,'' Chrysocolla exclaimed. ''How can you still do that? ''

''Right now,'' Zincite repeated. Already, the aggressive life forms were beginning to dip themselves in water so that they could pass through the flames. Chrysocolla knew that she should heed her companion's advice. However, her years of training and protocol still made her incapable of motion.

''I--I can't,'' Chrysocolla said. ''I'm not supposed to leave you without supervision. You could escape!'' A creature attempted to leap through the flames but was thrown back as Zincite slammed her heavy restraints into its torso.

''Escape?'' Zincite couldn't believe what she was hearing. ''If you haven't noticed, in my current state I wouldn't exactly make the greatest swimmer! Trust me. I'll be right behind you!''  Chrysocolla hesitate for one last moment before proceeding up the cliff with the youngling. Once she reached the top, Chrysocolla peered down below to ensure that her prisoner didn't attempt an escape. Instead, what Chrysocolla witnessed was Zincite as she slid her feet on the ground and ignited a spark--a spark that sent her soaring upwards onto the cliff. With a small army of angry aquatic life forms behind them, Chrysocolla and Zincite made their way back to the transport ship, flying away just as the beasts reached their landing site.

'''Phew,'' Zincite exhaled. ''That was more than enough excitement for this trip.''

''It's not over yet,'' Chrysocolla said, showing her companion the youngling that she saved. ''They were burning it to death. I saved it. I--I don't want it to die.''

''How much longer do you think it can go without water,'' Zincite asked, leaning over the small creature that was beginning to breathe rapidly. As they were being chased, Chrysocolla didn't have time to open the reinforced container doors. So, now, the fire-red gem sat next to her.

''Not long.'' Chrysocolla was getting worried. ''I'm taking us to the next planet in the system. It seems to have an ocean.''

''Don't worry,'' said Zincite as she attempted to comfort the guard. ''You've got this. We're going to make it.''

Chrysocolla didn't bother with a proper landing. She crashed her spacecraft on the banks of the largest body of water that she had seen from space.  Chrysocolla nearly flew out of the ship as she exited the spacecraft with an enormous leap and sprinted toward the ocean.  Her companion followed behind. When Chrysocolla reached the water, she slowly, carefully dipped the youngling into the cool, blue liquid--testing its reaction to the water. After a moment, the small, aquatic life form sprung to life and dashed from Chrysocolla's arms, swimming away into the blue horizon. As she watched the small organism swim away, Chrysocolla was filled with a mixture of joy and sadness that she had never experienced before.

''They grow up so fast don't they,'' sighed Zincite from the shore.  Chrysocolla didn't quite grasp what her prisoner meant by that.

''You,'' she said, emerging from the water. ''How are you able to use your powers while restrained? ''

''Hard work and determination,'' shrugged the fire-red Gem. ''Also, I totally melted a hole in the roof of the container.''

Chrysocolla  stared into her companion's eyes with wonder and confusion. ''But I still don't understand. If you could do that all this time, the why haven't you escaped?''

''Why would I escape.'' The fire-red Gem answered, giving Chrysocolla a sly grin. ''Especially now.''

''What do you mean,'' asked Chrysocolla confusedly.

Zincite looked up at the guard. ''I mean, I saved you life. And now you owe me one. The name's Zincite by the way. Most people call me Z, but you can call me Zin. ''  Chrysocolla was taken by surprise. She had traveled with this fire-red gem for nearly a month. Yet, they didn't know each other's names.

''I'm  Chrysocolla,'' the guard answered. ''But most people call me Cy.''

''Olla it is then,'' Zincite answered with a smile.

''I said most people call me C--'' Chrysocolla was cut off by Zincite's words.

''Do you hear that Olla,'' Zincite asked.  ''This way.'' Without warning, Zincite sprinted off to the east.  Chrysocolla gave chase.

''Zincite,'' she called. ''Zincite! Wait! Where are you going?! Zin!''

Suddenly, Zincite disappeared, hopping over a large mound of stones.

''Zincite,'' called an exhausted Chrysocolla as she hopped over the stone mound. ''What are you doin--'' This time, Chrysocolla was interrupted by something that she never imagined she would see. Silent tears were streaming down Zincite's face.

''Isn't it beautiful,'' she said. Taking her attention away from Zincite's tears, Chrysocolla began to notice that sounds were protruding from the open land in front of them. Some kid of life forms appeared to be migrating. However, they moved in groups of three--flowing like liquid as they streamed paste each other. As streams of these organisms collided, harmonious sounds were produced. As there appeared to be thousands of these creatures flowing and streaming together, it was as if beautiful, harmonious music filled the entire  space. It was as if the life forms were singing.

''You know Olla,'' Zincite began as she wiped the tears from her face. '' I think I know what I want in return for saving your life.''

''What is that,'' Chrysocolla asked.

''''I'm ready to die,'' Zincite began. '' I protected something that was dear to me and I was punished. I've made my peace with that. But we've got fifteen whole years until I have to report to Station 0. So, could we maybe take the scenic route?''

For the next fifteen years, Chrysocolla and Zincite roamed the unknown of uncatalogued space, stopping at any planet that piqued either of their interests. After leaving the planet of  ''liquid beings,'' the duo traveled to a frozen paradise where Zincite taught her supervisor the art of wielding fire and making it flow in sync with one's soul. They traveled to a nebula, spending weeks floating together in beautiful green stardust where Chrysocolla taught her companion to traverse the galaxy using only the stars. The two spent an entire two years on a planet whose surface and inhabitants were entirely made up of a living glass. On their voyage, Chrysocolla and Zincite witnessed countless miracles and made many friends. Naturally, there were also many dangers as Chrysocolla and Zincite made quite a few enemies and they were often faced with perils. However, for the two Gems, their journey together was worth every second of danger.  Their expedition taught them so much about the universe and themselves. And when time ran out, Chrysocolla and Zincite made their final stop on a small desert planet. For the first time, Chrysocolla decided to remove Zincite's heavy restraints so that they could dance together-- so that they could fuse together. Chrysocolla and Zincite spent their final few months fused, in a constant dance with each other as they relived every happy memory from their adventures.

Then, in a flash, it was all over. The past fifteen years were the longest and most enjoyable that either of them had ever experienced.  Yet, it all just felt like a good dream. Station 0 was coming into view.

''You know Zin,'' said Chrysocolla as she pulled into the docking station. ''If you want to change your mind. You'd better say something so that I can get us out of here.''

''Why,'' laughed Zincite as she stood at the back of the spaceship, awaiting the opening of the container door. ''So that they can be looking for you? No thanks. I'll just take what's coming to me. You'll be fine Olla. You'll be fine.''

Personality:

Chrysocolla is strong, determined, and loyal. She is an expert in navigation, capable of navigating through the uncatalogued area of space without ever losing sight of her destination. On her adventures with Zincite, Chrysocolla learned a lot about herself that she was previously unaware of. Chrysocolla learned of her compassion for life and appreciation for the beauty in music and in the small things that most Gems take for granted on a regular basis due to their extended lifespan. She still considers herself a guard despite the fact that she hasn't returned to her post on Homeworld for quite some time now. Chrysocolla is generally one to do things ''by the book'' as her guard protocol is still actively practiced in her lifestyle.  Despite her fifteen year voyage, Chrysocolla still believes that she has much to learn about herself and the universe of which she is a part of.

Abilities:

Chrysocolla wields a staff with skill unlike any other guard in her batch. After training with Zincite, Chrysocolla is capable of lighting the ends of her staff with a bright, burning flame. As a very tall Gem, Chrysocolla cannot always avoid attacks. However, her jumping ability is astounding--often allowing her to leap tall heights and over long distances. Also, without her weapon, Chrysocolla is practically useless in a fight. As a guard, she has always had her weapon and has rarely been in a situation in which hand to hand combat was needed. Finally, Chrysocolla is capable of beginner-level pyrokinesis when using the motions that she learned from Zincite. As a result, she is only capable of moving fire with her feet.

Trivia:

  * Zincite has been in her restraints for 265,900 years. Her restraints kept her from fusing, drawing her weapon and was supposed to inhibit her power over fire
  * Zincite's battle style in which she moves fire in combat resembles modern break dancing.
  * Although scheduled for execution, Zincite did not actually die as Blue Topaz, another prisoner at Station 0 staged a breakout. Zincite escaped and is currently still in uncataloged space. Chrysocolla is not aware of the breakout.
  * After seeing what a good Gem Zincite was, Chrysocolla lost faith in the Homeworld Association and decided to spend a few more years touring uncatalogued space. Eventually, she met and joined Tiger's Eye and Imperial Topaz.
  * Although she no longer considers herself a part of the organization, Chrysocolla still introduces herself with her extremely long title.
  * Chrysocolla and Zincite fuse into Ametrine.
  * The aquatic life forms that Chrysocolla and Zincite encountered are very flame resistant at birth and are actually able to survive for days without water.
  * The aquatic life forms that Chrysocolla and Zincite encountered are also very intelligent as they attack enemies in waves to weaken them.  It is not visible from the surface, but their planet is actually horribly overpopulated. Ultimately, their high council decided to burn their young to death before they gain consciousness (After 3 weeks) in order to prevent further overpopulation
  * Prior to her imprisonment, Zincite's weapons were flamed, spiked knuckles.
  * Chrysocolla and Tiger's Eye fuse into Moonstone




	4. Tourmalinated Quartz

Name: Tourmalinated Quartz

Nicknames:  T Quartz,  Mal, TQ , Partner

Race: Gem

Gender: Genderless

Gemstone Tourmalinated Quartz

Occupation: Scout(Formerly)

Friends:  Zincite

                Citrine (Formerly)

                Spinel

                Tiger's Eye

                Imperial Topaz

               Chrysocolla

Weapon: Kite Shields w/blade functionality

Background:

In the earliest days of Gem history, nearly all planets in the galaxy were uncatalogued. As a young species, the Gems wanted nothing more than to become familiar with their surroundings--to explore the unknown. So, the superiors of the Homeworld planet, after securing their place as the leaders of their species, decided to bring structure to their people and to their universe by establishing the three Homeworld Sectors for Exploration and Universal Prosperity: The Scientific Research Division, The Homeworld Guard Association, and The Ministries of Peace and Unification. Control over these sectors was divided among the planet's rulers . After establishing the Homeworld sectors, the planet's superiors then created additional Gems to fit within each division. Intelligent Gems who specialized in learning the workings of living organisms and developing new technology that could be used exclusively by Gems were developed for the SRD. Strong Gems, full of willpower and determination were created for the HGA. Gems forged to be curious, brave, and adventurous  where created to be scouts for the MPU. Members from each sector were chosen and placed on units that were sent throughout the galaxy to search  for and record the happenings of other planets, stars, and life forms. However, one unit in particular was given an additional task.

''I don't think they're going to make it Nel,'' said a fire-red Gem as she crouched atop a large stone pillar. ''We don't have much longer until doomsday.'' Her name was Zincite, a proud member of the Homeworld Guard Association.

''Shut up,'' muttered the blood-red Gem called Spinel. She was also a member of the association and stood on a pillar across from Zincite. Several shuriken sat between her fingers. ''She said they'd be here, so they'll be here. Now keep quiet and draw your weapon.''

''Yikes,'' Zincite said jokingly as flaming knuckles appeared on her hands. ''You don't speak much, but when you do, you always seem to be in a sour mood. '' Spinel responded with only a cold stare. ''What's the matter,'' Zincite pouted. ''Is someone a little cranky because she's still the shortest guard in the whole association?'' The cold stare turned into ice. Zincite did not utter another word. Quietly returning to her post, Zincite stared out at the bright, horizon. After a few moments, roughly a dozen figures emerged over the horizon.

''Hey,'' Zincite called to her teammate. ''I see them. They've got roughly ten hostiles on their tails though. So be ready to cover me. '' Spinel merely nodded.  As the figures approached, Zincite and Spinel could see that their teammates were attempting to avoid heavy fire from their pursuers  as they rode atop hovering, metallic vehicles. Their opponents rode larger, faster vehicles that clearly had more fire power. The enemy appeared to be winning. ''Come on,'' Zincite muttered nervously. ''Just a little bit closer.''

Zincite watched as her teammates' vehicle swerved and curved, barely dodging shot after shot as they approached the pillars. ''Almost there,'' she muttered. A slew of shots was fired and her teammates were hit. A tense Zincite jumped up in anxiety. Although smoking and slowed significantly, the small vehicle pressed forward, barely crossing into Spinel's range. ''Now,'' Zincite yelled as she leapt from the pillar.

Quickly, Spinel released her small, sharp discs and directed them toward their pursuing opponents. Using the motion of her body, Spinel controlled the discs' movements and had them cut and slice through the vehicles. Despite their size, the small blades were incredibly sharp and dealt massive damage to their mechanical foes. Meanwhile, Zincite took a ''direct approach,'' as she crashed fist-first onto the dry ground. Her landing sent  a shockwave of flame throughout the battlefield that caused several enemy machines to explode and gave the smaller, smoking vehicle enough distance to escape defeat. While Spinel's shuriken guarded her weak spots, Zincite bulldozed through each machine with blazing fists of fury and flame. No enemy was left uncharred. After a few moments, the barren ground was littered with singed metal and the air was filled with smoke.

''Did we get it,'' Zincite asked as she returned to her teammates who had gathered between the pillars. Spinel's shuriken rejoined her.

Two Gems emerged from the small, smoking vehicle. The Gem on the right was a tall, unique blend of translucent and black lines. The smaller Gem on the left was a radiant gold. ''Blight retrieved,'' said a strong, commanding voice. The tall  Gem that spoke was Tourmalinated Quartz, leader and high MPU scout of Unit 15116. She opened her hand to reveal a small pyramid-shaped object in her left hand. ''Now, let's head to the ship. We don't have much time.'' With a nod, the unit of four left the smoking vehicle and sprinted toward the south.

Like most other units of its time, Unit 15116 consisted of one scout, one researcher, and two guards. Zincite and Spinel, the team's guard were exceptional in battle--especially when they worked together using their unique blend of close and long-range combat. Arrogant, cocky, comedic, and somewhat lazy, the fire-red Zincite blazed through opponents with her flaming knuckles and extremely-useful power over fire. Meanwhile, calm, silent, observant, and cynical, the blood-red Spinel attacked her enemies from afar using her seven star shuriken. Tourmalinated Quartz was the unit's strong, compassionate  leader. Like other scouts, Tourmalinated Quartz was instilled with a strong sense of morality and courage. Nothing was more important to her than defending the weak and making peace with the strong and intelligent. Unlike the other members of her unit, Tourmalinated Quartz fought with a carefully-crafted hand-to-hand combat that was swift, powerful, and still spared the lives of her opponents. Her weapon hadn't been used for hundreds of years. Like her leader, the golden Gem Citrine also fought weaponless. However, the brilliant research Gem was not without a weapon by choice. Rather, Citrine became unable to draw her weapon after a battle resulted in the cracking of her gemstone.  However, still devoted to bringing peace to the galaxy through scientific discovery, Citrine continued to contribute to the unit's mission to the best of her ability. While no longer useful in battle, Citrine's record-level intellect made her a fantastic teammate.  For unlike most units of its time, Unit 15116 had an especially strange and dangerous mission.

According to the Homeworld's superiors, there was once an ancient evil that terrorized the universe with a powerful, devastating weapon. However, the evil did not reign forever as the superiors of Homeworld banded together and destroyed the evil and its weapon of mass destruction. However, unknown to the superiors the terrible weapon was not destroyed but shattered into pieces. Each of these pieces, called Blight could be used to wreak havoc in the galaxy. To make matters worse, once a Blight was activated, its powerful, evil energy would draw in disaster, ultimately causing the destruction of the beings who attempted to wield its dark powers.  So, the superiors of Homeworld put together an elite unit and tasked them with retrieving activated Blight pyramids and returning them to the Homeworld for destruction. The unit in question was Unit 15116.

''How much time do we have left Treene,'' Zincite huffed to the golden Gem that ran beside her.

''We should have roughly two minutes before impact,'' Citrine answered.  It was true, in approximately two minutes, an enormous asteroid was to collide with the planet's core, destroying it and all living organisms on its surface. Already, the gigantic mass could be seen entering the planet's atmosphere.

''Let's pick up the pace team,'' yelled Tourmalinated Quartz .She saw a familiar object on the horizon. ''We're nearing the ship.''

''One minute an thirty seconds before impact,'' shouted a worried Citrine. ''Mal, I don't--''

''Shut up and keep running!'' Tourmalinated Quartz glanced back and screamed at her time-keeping teammate. Now, the asteroid above was even closer, blazing as it neared the surface.  Finally, the team arrived at their ship. Everyone rushed inside as the door to the ship closed. ''Get us into space,'' ordered Tourmalinated Quartz. ''Now!''

Citrine darted to the ship's control room in record time. Thrusting her hands into the navigation panel, Citrine directed the ship upwards, sending the unit flying into space. As the exited the planet's atmosphere, their spacecraft was grazed  by the flames that were protruding from the sides of the asteroid. Unit 15116 escaped into space just as the enormous rock collided with the planet.

''I'd sure hate to be those guys,'' Zincite said with awe as she watched the enormous dust cloud form on the world.

''Nel,'' Tourmalinated Quartz said. ''Take the controls from Citrine and set a course for Homeworld.'' With a nod, Spiel headed toward the helm. After a long, six-month mission, Unit 15116 was headed home.

''Something just doesn't feel right Z,'' contemplated Tourmalinated Quartz as she dodged a fiery fist. She had been sparring with Zincite as she did between every mission. As one of the strongest, most skillful guards in the association, the fire-red Gem was the perfect tool for Tourmalinated Quartz to sharpen her hand-to-hand combat. She dodged another fist and countered with a jab to Zincite's torso. The force of Tourmalinated Quartz's blow was enough to knock the fire-red Gem onto her back.

''I still say that we should just consider ourselves lucky,'' responded Zincite as she recovered and charged forward with another flurry of punches. Much to Zincite's dismay, Tourmalinated Quartz grabbed her arm and flung her over her shoulder. Zincite came crashing down onto the hard floor. ''You know,'' she grunted as her leader helped Zincite to her feet. Their long sparring match had finally ended. ''Nel and I are supposed to be guarding you. But for some reason I get the feeling that you really don't need our protection. What is this? The third time I've lost to you? ''

Tourmalinated Quartz chucked. In reality, she had passed three victories long ago. ''Something like that. Maybe you'd build up that winning streak again if you were to put your entire body into the fight. You're getting too used to Nel covering your open spots, so you almost fight in one place. I'd recommend a little more leg work.''

The doors to the training room slid open.  ''Mal,'' called Citrine as she entered the room. ''I have those results you asked for.''

''Good,'' replied Tourmalinated Quartz. She turned back to Zincite. ''Could you give us a moment to go over these?''

''Sure thing boss,'' said Zincite. She headed toward the exit but paused before leaving. ''Oh, and those were some pretty great maneuvers out there on that machine. For a second there, I didn't think that you two were going to make it.''

''If I had been at the controls we probably wouldn't have,'' responded Tourmalinated Quartz. She pointed to the golden Gem who was carrying a data chart. ''My partner deserves all of the credit on this one.''

Zincite smiled at Citrine whose eyes darted to the floor. ''Really,'' Zincite said. ''Smart, pretty, and good at operating foreign machinery? We should hang out more, I'd love to see what else you're good at.'' With a snicker, Zincite left Citrine and Tourmalinated Quartz alone in the training room.

Citrine waited for the sound of Zincite's footsteps to disappear before she addressed her leader. ''You were right,'' she said, rechecking her chart as she spoke. ''The asteroid impacted a full thirty seconds  after the time I had previously calculated. According to these charts, we should have perished.''

This was the third time that such an event had occurred. The first was roughly 200 years ago. Tourmalinated Quartz was sure that she and her team were about to meet their end. Normally, they retrieved the Blight with at least fifteen minutes to spare. However, the creatures on that particular world were extremely difficult to fight as they could become intangible at will. As the unit was fighting its way onto their ship, the asteroid should have hit. Instead, it seemed to ''wait for them,'' colliding a full fifteen seconds after calculated impact. The second time was on an aquatic planet where sentient waves   delayed the team--resulting in the asteroid colliding nearly one minute after Citrine's predicted time. Initially, Tourmalinated Quartz considered their survival a stroke of luck. However, now, she began to question the continued delay of their demise.

''Did you run the numbers a second time,'' asked Tourmalinated Quartz as she stared out of the window at the ruined world.

Citrine walked over the window and handed Tourmalinated Quartz her data. ''I ran the numbers five times Mal. It stalled again. ''

Tourmalinated Quartz let out a frustrated sigh. ''Well, do you have any idea what it could mean?''

''I don't know,'' said Citrine. She hung her head again--this time out of shame, not shyness. ''But I do know that I would've been of a lot more use if I could've summoned my weapon.''

''Don't start that again,'' said Tourmalinated Quartz. ''You pulled more than your fair-share of weight today. Besides, you contribute to the team in other ways besides your combat skills.''

''I know,'' Citrine sighed. ''I'm sorry that I brought it up. I just. . . I just with that I could contribute to the team in more ways than driving vehicles and checking numbers. '' Citrine opened her hand and stared at her left palm. ''And sometimes, when we're engaging in combat or taking heavy fire, I can feel it. I can feel it in my hand.''   


''Well,'' started Tourmalinated Quartz. ''It's your fault that you can't draw your weapon remember? You made that stupid decision. I told you not to, Z told you not to, but you made it anyway. As a result, you got hurt and you saved Z's life. '' Citrine was silent. Tourmalinated Quartz passed her friend and made her way across the room. ''So partner, before you wear that handicap like a badge of shame, try wearing it like a badge of honor first.  Now if you'll excuse me Citrine, I've got to write up some questions for our superiors.''

After arriving on the Homeworld, Unit 15116 was almost immediately called for debriefing by the Homeworld superiors. Tourmalinated Quartz and her team kneeled as their superiors addressed them, thanking them for their service and continued success on their missions.  Believing that her superiors were honest, Tourmalinated Quartz asked her questions. She told them of her concern about the delayed asteroid collisions.

''We have no information regarding the delay of the asteroids' collision with various planets,'' The superiors answered.  '' Perhaps you have just been blessed with good luck. ''

Tourmalinated Quartz was not satisfied with her superiors' answer. However, the Gem was careful not to convey her dissatisfaction in her tone.  ''And another question your greatness,'' Tourmalinated Quartz continued. ''The species from which we retrieved the latest Blight pyramid didn't seem very hostile or evil. They appeared to simply be studying it. Is it possible that perhaps some species do not intentionally use the Blight pyramids for evil?''

The superior's eyes squinted in annoyance. ''Tourmalinated Quartz, we assure you that only species that wish to use the Blight for the destruction of peace and harmony are capable of activating the devices. No further questions will be entertained. ''

''Well with all due respect your Excellency,'' Tourmalinated Quartz began, ''I'm going to have to ask you for a better answe--''

''No further questions will be entertained, '' repeated the superior. Biting her tongue, Tourmalinated Quartz bowed her head. The superior continued. ''Now, your next destination has already been sent to the navigation panel of your ship. Another Blight has been activated and to make matters worse, your extended absence has allowed the asteroid to reach the planet's solar system. If the Blight is not retrieved before impact, it will only be lost to the reaches of space. And before long, another evil race of beings will retrieve it. You only have 27 hours before impact, so you will depart immediately in a new, faster, and more efficient vessel.''

With that, Unit 15116 was dismissed and escorted to the docking bay where a new scout cruiser was waiting for them.

''Whoa,'' gasped Zincite. ''It's beautiful! And so much better than our piece of junk!'' Zincite sprinted into the spacecraft. ''Nel! You have got to come check this out!'' Spinel merely rolled her eyes as she slowly entered their new ship.

''All of your research materials and personal belongings have been carefully placed inside,'' said an escort guard as she addressed Citrine. ''You should find everything fairly easily. And don't worry about the controls, these newer models are much easier to fly.''

Citrine gave a small salute. ''Thank you.'' Hurrying to join her team, Citrine ran into the scout ship. She expected Zincite to be busy frolicking around, exploring the new ship. She expected Spinel to have found a nice, quiet corner in which to sling her shuriken around. She expected Tourmalinated Quartz to be in the hull of the ship quietly planning possible strategies for their mission. Citrine did not expect, Tourmalinated Quartz and the other Gems to be quietly gathered at the front of the ship and whispering amongst themselves. Their excitement was simply a facade.

''Hey Treene,'' whispered Zincite as she motioned to her teammate. ''Get us into space and then come over here.''  A confused Citrine followed her teammate's orders and set their new ship in the direction of the target planet. Then, she joined her teammates.

''I have reason to believe that our superiors are lying to us,'' said Tourmalinated Quartz.

Citrine gasped. ''What!?'' The mere thought of speaking of the superiors in such a way was blasphemy to her.  However, Tourmalinated Quartz was very serious.

''They don't believe in 'luck' Citrine,'' Tourmalinated Quartz added. ''Unless it's luck that they're bestowing upon our people. I'm not sure how they're involved in the stalling of the asteroids, but I'm sure that they are.''

''And would it be so wrong if they were,'' Zincite asked. ''I mean, I'm not complaining.''

''I agree with Zincite,'' Citrine said. ''The involvement of our superiors would only be an example of their grace and mercy toward us.''

''This is true,'' replied Tourmalinated Quartz. ''But if our superiors are somehow controlling the asteroids, then that would also make them responsible for the elimination of life on the 27 planets that we've recovered Blight from.''  Upon this realization, the entire team fell silent. Could it be possible that the beings responsible for creating their lives and the lives of their entire species were actually mass murderers? Tourmalinated Quartz continued. ''Now, I'm not saying that our superiors don't have the galaxy's best interest at heart. I'm just saying that we need to look into this when we get back. Agreed?''

Spinel nodded and left the room. Zincite followed after uttering ''Sure.'' Citrine just left.  Tourmalinated Quartz was all alone. She had expected her talk with her teammates to take a similar turn. Most Gems were loyal to the superiors. Even Tourmalinated Quartz herself had hoped that the Gems who were in charge of Homeworld would have been honest with her. After all, the superiors were responsible for creating a way of life and reproduction for an entire species. In  a sense, the superiors were the mothers of Gem civilization. In Tourmalinated Quartz's opinion, no creature wished to oppose its creator. However, if there was a possibility that entire populations could be spared, she would be willing to stand against even those who shaped her from the minerals of Homeworld.

Tourmalinated Quartz made her way around her new ship, searching for Citrine's quarters.  Although she was willing to oppose her creators if necessary, there was no need to bring Zincite, Citrine, and Spinel into the fray. After a few minutes of walking throughout the ship, Tourmalinated Quartz arrived a closed door with a picture of Citrine's gem stamped on its center.  Tourmalinated Quartz knocked tapped on the door. There was no response.

''Hey partner,'' Tourmalinated Quartz started. She knew that her friend was listening. ''I apologize for that. We've traveled together for so long that I suppose I didn't notice when I overstepped my boundary. You don't have to stand beside me on this one, but I would be honored if you would consider it.''

''She's with you Mal. We all are. '' A surprised Tourmalinated Quartz turned to see Zincite standing a few feet behind her. ''Treene just needs a little time to take it all in.''

''Well you'd better get in there,'' Tourmalinated Quartz sighed. ''That's why you're here isn't it?''

Zincite's demeanor was now nervous and fidgety. ''Well,'' she stuttered. ''I was just--It's just that things have been sort of weird with us ever since she--'' Zincite was interrupted as Tourmalinated Quartz placed her hand on Zinite's shoulder.

''It's nice to see you two reconnecting,'' Tourmalinated Quartz said with a smile. ''Take care of my partner.''  Tourmalinated Quartz made her way back to the front room, catching a glimpse of Zincite entering Citrine's room before she left. Now that Citrine was in good hands, Tourmalinated Quartz knew that she had planning to do.

Unit 15116 arrived at the target planet in 17 hours. However, as the team glanced down at their next mission from space, the unit nearly mistook the world for Homeworld. The strange, new planet was full of technology and glistened with bright lights.  Citrine gaped at the sight.

''I knew that there was other intelligent life in our galaxy,'' she said. ''But I had no idea that other life could grow to be so brilliant.''

''It's a shame that they have to die,'' muttered Spinel solemnly.

After determining the Blight's location, Unit 15116 landed on the advanced planet and were greeted with the life forms' organized military force. Tourmalinated Quartz made several attempts to reason with the organisms amidst the battle, but her attempts at communication yielded no results. To make matters worse, time passed differently on this planet as one hour upon the world's surface was the equivalent of ten hours in space. Zincite, Spine, Citrine, and Tourmalinated Quartz stormed their way toward the Blight. The small pyramid-like object was found in what appeared to be a laboratory. Once again, Tourmalinated Quartz observed life forms that were not using the Blight, but studying it. However, the asteroid was nearing the planet's surface. Tourmalinated Quartz had no time to become lost in her theory. So, she gritted her teeth and continued to fight, retrieving the Blight from its place in the laboratory.

''Blight retrieved,'' she yelled. ''Everybody back to the ship!'' Zincite turned her head toward Tourmalinated Quartz to signal that she had received the order to retreat and an attacking life form grabbed her leg and flung her to the ground, taking Zincite away from the protection of Spinel's shuriken. The creature raised its foot and slammed it down onto Zincite's body. The life form was crushing Zincite's gem. Tourmalinated Quartz ran to assist her teammate, but she was too far away. Also limited by distance, Spinel's shuriken were unable to come to Zincite's aid. It seemed that the fire-red Gem would be extinguished. Then suddenly, a golden lance came spiraling through the air, striking the creature down. Citrine had summoned her weapon. With another armed teammate adding to their strength, Unit 15116 was able to make their way back to the spacecraft and off of the planet with several minutes to spare.

''Now what,'' asked Spinel as the team witnessed the collision of the asteroid with the bright planet.

''Now we return to Homeworld,'' responded Tourmalinated Quartz. ''And not just for debriefing.'' I won't order any of you to assist me. This is just to satisfy my personal curiosity, and if our superiors become aware of my distrust in them, they will punish me and whoever gets themselves involved. You deserve to know that before you commit to anything. But, anyone who wishes to help me gather information from our superiors' without their knowledge or consent please step forward.''

''I'm actually a little too weak to stand right now,'' said Zincite with a smile. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against Citrine for support. ''But count me in.'' Spinel consented with a silent nod, and after a long pause, even Citrine raised her hand in support of her comrade.  

''Very well partner,'' Citrine sighed. ''You have my support. But I still believe that our superiors are in the right.''

After arriving on Homeworld, Tourmalinated Quartz and her team made their move. Following their debriefing with the superiors, Spinel quickly and quietly took out the guards that were escorting the unit to the docking bay. While she and Zincite stood watch,  Citrine and Tourmalinated Quartz rushed back into the superiors' domain. After some time of shifting through shadows, careful not to be detected, Tourmalinated Quartz and her partner came across what could only be described as a room that was constructed with information itself. Thousands upon thousands of monitors, diagrams, files, and other data-storage devices stood before them.

''What do you think partner, '' Tourmalinated Quartz asked, turning to her companion. ''Can you breach the security in this place?''

''Honestly,'' sighed Citrine as she slowly strolled around the room, in awe of the data collection before her. ''I'm not sure. But I have been fairly fortunate today. So I'll give it a try.'' She proceeded to thrust her hands into the control panel of the archives. Instantly, the golden Gem fell silent. She was frozen like a statue.

''Citrine,'' Tourmalinated Quartz called in a whisper. She had never seen her partner in such a state. ''Citrine! Can you hear m--'' Citrine had begun to speak, yelling out the information while trapped in the motionless state.

''ARCHIVE PROJECTS 128976 THROUGH 234794,'' she yelled. ''THE BLIGHT PROJECT.'' Before Tourmalinated Quartz could wrap her hand around Citrine's mouth, the monitors and screens of the room came to life, displaying uniform information about the same topic--the Blight Pyramids. Tourmalinated Quartz rapidly scanned the walls, floors, and ceiling, reading everything that she could about their missions. Unfortunately, there was nothing among the documents that restored her faith in the superiors.

The Blight Pyramids were not ever part of an enormous, devastating weapon. Nor were they alien technology. The Blight Pyramids originated from the Homeworld. Thousands of years ago, the superiors created the Blight pyramids and scattered them throughout the young galaxy in hopes that they would find their way to planets and solar systems. They were not weapons, but beacons--beacons that alerted the superiors to intelligent life that could possibly pose a threat to the empire that they planned to establish. Upon being unearthed and experimented on, the Blight pyramid would activate and cause a slight, untraceable shift in the gravitational field of the victim planet. In turn, the shift would attract an asteroid whose dimensions were sufficient for decimating the world. From Homeworld, the superiors could alter the gravitational shift and slow the asteroid's collision with the doomed world. Unit 15116 was formed and deployed to retrieve the difficult-to-create Blight pyramids and to distract the life forms' military forces, rendering them unable to destroy the incoming asteroid. Tourmalinated Quartz caught a glimpse of what would be the unit's next target and began to read more information, but was she was again interrupted by Citrine.

''UNAUTHORIZED USER,'' she yelled ''UNAUTHORIZED USER!'' Alarms began to sound. Tourmalinated Quartz knew that it was only a matter of time before she and her partner were seized and punished for their trespassing. Quickly, Tourmalinated Quartz tore Citrine's hands away from the control panel.

''D--Did you find anything,'' asked a dizzy Citrine.

''Yes,'' Tourmalinated Quartz said hurriedly, supporting her partner with her shoulder. ''But right now we have to go.'' Citrine did not budge.

''What did you find,'' she asked.

Tourmalinated Quartz attempted to assure her friend. ''I'll tell everybody on the ship. But we need to leave now.'' Citrine, still unmoving, grabbed Tourmalinated Quartz's arm.

''Tell me what you found,'' Citrine commanded. A frustrated Tourmalinated Quartz replied.

''Our superiors are evil,'' she shouted. ''They've been lying to us for the past seven hundred years. They plan to take over the galaxy and are using the Blight crystals that they made to which species are smart enough to pose a threat. We are their mercenaries. We go in, take the Blight, and distract the life forms of the victim planets long enough for the asteroid to sneak up on them. Now let's go!'' Tourmalinated Quartz turned to leave but froze before taking a step. She could feel a blade pointed at her throat.

''And what do you plan to do with this information now that you've found it? '' Citrine spoke holding the tip of her lance to her partner's throat.

Tourmalinated Quartz answered honestly. ''I plan to put a stop to it partner.''

''And rebel against our superiors?'' Citrine was stupefied. ''Are you insane? I only agreed to help you with this so that we might put your curiosity to rest.  What you're speaking of is treason!''

''What they're doing isn't right Citrine.'' Tourmalinated Quartz was still attempting to reason with her friend.

''We don't define what right is!'' Citrine was screaming now. ''They do!'' Tourmalinated Quartz could hear Gems approaching. She had to figure a way out of this situation.

''Come on Citrine,'' she began. ''What would Z think if she saw you like this?'' Citrine pressed the tip of her lance to Tourmalinated Quartz's neck, slightly piercing the surface.

''Don't say that,'' said Citrine. Fury echoed in her voice. ''You know that everything I do is for Zincite. I will not let you persuade her to join you in death. Maybe if you request an audience with our superiors, they'll ex--'' In one swift motion, Tourmalinated Quartz rotated to the left and thrust her palms into Citrine, sending the golden Gem flying backwards into the control panel and knocking her unconscious. 

As the footsteps grew nearer, Tourmalinated Quartz knew that she would easily be caught if she attempted to escape with an unconscious Citrine over her shoulders. ''Sorry partner,'' Tourmalinated Quartz sighed as she left the control room. ''We'll be back for you as soon as possible.''  With that, Tourmalinated Quartz sprinted out of the superiors' domain and rejoined Zincite and Spinel.

''Where's Treene,'' Zincite asked a Tourmalinated Quartz ordered Spinel to take them into space.  Their destination was the unsuspecting planet that would be next on Unit 15116's list.

''After we get into space,'' Tourmalinated Quartz said solemnly. ''There are a few things that I have to tell you two.''  After their spacecraft was on a stable journey to the distant world, Tourmalinated Quartz told Zincite and Spinel of everything that occurred inside of their superiors' information room. She told them of all that she learned, and she told them that Citrine was unable to handle the truth and lashed out as a result.

''The superiors will keep her alive for questioning,'' Tourmalinated Quartz told a distressed Zincite. ''We will get her back as soon as possible. ''But we need to protect this planet from destruction first. If we ever have to face our planet's overlords, we'll need a powerful military force behind us. Our first priority is to secure this planet. Then, we go back for Citrine. ''

After a roughly 32 hours in transit, Tourmalinated Quartz and what remained of her team landed on the outskirts of a city on a small, windy planet.

Spinel exited the ship with a small machine in her hand. ''Citrine's scanner shows that the Blight pyramid is somewhere in that city,''

Tourmalinated Quartz nodded. ''Alright everyone, let's get in there and locate the Blight Pyramid. From what I read, destroying it should throw the asteroid off its c--'' Although her words were interrupted, Tourmalinated Quartz did not stop speaking. Her voice was merely drowned out by the lour, monotonous hum of a beautiful beam of light. The light came quickly shining its beautiful golden-white  light down upon the city on the horizon. Tourmalinated Quartz and the two guards thought that perhaps they bore witness to one of the planet's natural beauties. Then, as quickly as it came, the light disappeared, taking the city on the horizon with it. All that remained where the city stood only seconds ago was charred earth. Never had any of the three Gems witnessed anything so beautiful and destructive.

Confused, the three Gems made their way to the now non-existent city. What they found shocked and horrified them. Citrine was standing in the center of the charred crater. She was waiting for them. As Unit 15116 reunited, Tourmalinated Quartz, Spinel, and Zincite approached their comrade slowly and carefully. Citrine seemed to be glowing and there was a swirling mass of darkness  formed around her radiant body. It was as if she was draining light from the surrounding air.  Upon recognizing her companion, Zincite attempted to sprint forward into Citrine's arms.  Tourmalinated Quartz put a sturdy hand to Zincite's torso, holding her in place.

''Citrine,'' Tourmalinated Quartz called from a safe distance. ''How did you get here?''

''Our superiors sent me,'' admitted Citrine. ''I'm here to bring you back to Homeworld for your punishment. But it's okay. I pleaded with them and they agreed to let you live. You'll just be imprisoned for a bit.''

Tourmalinated Quartz pointed to the sky. ''And how did you manage to do that?''

Slowly moving closer to her partner, Citrine explained. ''Well, part of our agreement was that in exchange for your continued existence, I will continue to search for the Blight pyramids. They shared this power with me as a gift. It's meant to assist me.''

''It's meant to make you into a weapon,'' Spinel interjected. ''I never knew you were the gullible type.''  

''That isn't true,'' Citrine screamed. ''They showed me! Our superiors have a glorious plan for our galaxy--a plan that allows us all to live in unity, peace, prosperity, and purity. These beings that you're trying to protect  are not worthy of such a galaxy. They would poison it. ''

''We're not going back with you!'' Zincite spoke with tears streaming down her face as she drew her weapon. ''And we're not going to let you continue killing innocent life forms.''

Citrine clenched her teeth. She raised he hand, pointing to Tourmalinated Quartz as she screamed angrily. ''You did this!'' Tourmalinated Quartz foresaw and attack.

''Everybody behind me,'' she screamed, shoving Zincite and Spinel behind her just a Citrine released another beam of blinding light from her extended hand. Much to Citrine's surprise, the beam of light returned to her--almost hitting her as it passed. After the blinding light faded, Citrine looked to see Zincite, Spinel and Tourmalinated Quartz still standing. However, Tourmalinated Quartz now stood with her weapons, kite shields, on her forearms.

''Don't do this partner,'' Tourmalinated Quartz pleaded. Citrine didn't listen. Instead, she proceeded to blast light-ray after light-ray, rotating around her former allies as she fired. She moved quickly, moving through the light around her so that she was able to teleport and attack from the air. Despite Citrine's tactical advantage, she was unable to land a hit. For each time she shot a beam of light, Tourmalinated Quartz would quickly lift one of her heavy shields and reflect the ray, sending it off into another direction. Huddling near Tourmalinated Quartz, Zincite and Spinel remained untouched by the light. Thinking quickly, Citrine rotated in the opposite direction, catching Tourmalinated Quartz off guard. The radiant Gem proceeded to slam a scorching beam of light into her partner's side. Tourmalinated Quartz was flung several meters across the ground, skidding and sliding before she stopped.

''Always so righteous,'' gloated Citrine as she teleported to Tourmalinated Quartz's side and prepared to land a finishing blow. ''I've always hated that about you.''  Then, just as Citrine was about to release the ray of light, she felt sharp blades slice across her back. Zincite and Spinel had joined the battle.

''Well you and your mood swings aren't exactly the easy to get along with either.'' Zincite struck Citrine from behind with a flaming fist to the head. She and Spinel had joined the battle.

''No,'' yelled Tourmalinated Quartz as she stood. ''Both of you! Stand down!'' Tourmalinated Quartz rapidly re-summoned her  left shield and raced toward her brawling comrades. Zincite and Spinel couldn't see it, but Citrine was setting them up, avoiding Zincite's punches until she got a clear shot.  As she neared Citrine, Tourmalinated Quartz leapt into the air and slammed Citrine with the massive force of her shield just as the golden Gem discharged another ray of light. Although Citrine was sent flying hundreds of meters away, her stream of light still found its target. Spinel's shuriken lifelessly clinked to the ground. Where the blood-red Gem stood only seconds ago was nothing more than a singed crater. Zincite fell to her knees.

''W--Where's Spinel,'' she asked as she experienced the intense shock. ''As a guard, she isn't supposed to abandon her post like that.'' Zincite reached to the ground and retrieved one of the small, metallic blades. She tossed it into the air and watched it fall to the ground. ''Come on Nel,'' Zincite chuckled. ''Now's not the time to joke around.''

Tourmalinated Quartz was furious. Leaving Zincite to grieve, she dragged her shield through the ground, following Citrine's skid marks. After a few minutes of walking, Tourmalinated Quartz found Citrine standing, absorbing more light. The blow from Tourmalinated Quartz's shield had left Citrine bruised and beaten as if she had just fought twenty battles.

''Aright partner,'' Tourmalinated Quartz said, setting the tip of her shield onto the ground. ''I'm going to give you three moves to kill me. Then,  I'm going to kill you. Whenever you're ready.''

Citrine turned and faced Tourmalinated Quartz. There was fear in her eyes as she looked upon her former leader. ''And if I run?'' She asked.

''I kill you faste--,'' Tourmalinated Quartz was cut off as Citrine leapt into the air and fired a massive beam of light in a desperate attempt to catch Tourmalinated Quartz off guard a second time. Citrine did not achieve the desired result as Tourmalinated Quartz slammed her shield into the light and sent the radiant stream plowing back into Citrine. The golden Gem returned to the ground with a shriek of pain. 

Tourmalinated Quartz sat her shield back onto the ground. ''Two more moves.'' This time, Citrine lunged forward angrily with her lance. As she neared Tourmalinated Quartz, her former partner flicked her wrist upwards, sending the lower half of her shield colliding with Citrine's upper body. The strike lifted Citrine into the air and launched her into the planet's atmosphere.  With a leap, Tourmalinated Quartz ascended upwards following Citrine's path.

''Last move,'' Tourmalinated Quartz told Citrine as they hovered on the edge of space. ''I'd put some effort into this one if I were you.''  Afraid for her life, Citrine summoned all of her remaining strength and charged toward Tourmalinated Quartz with her lance, teleporting behind her opponent before coming in the range of the massive shield. Quickly, Citrine jabbed her lance into Tourmalinated Quartz's back. She thought that surely the battle was hers.

''That was your last one,'' said Tourmalinated Quartz. Then, with a fluid motion, Tourmalinated Quartz rotated and used the blade-portion of her shield to slice Citrine's lance in half, slapping Citrine down toward the planet in the process.  Then, as Citrine plummeted toward the surface, Tourmalinated Quartz threw her shield downwards, sending it crashing into Citrine's body. When Citrine and the heavy shield landed on the surface, an enormous cloud of dust and debris flew into the air.  With her right hand shield, Tourmalinated Quartz floated down to the surface hoping to find Citrine's shattered gem. Instead, what she found was a barely-living Citrine who was desperately clinging to life in the most disgusting way possible.

''Take another step and I kill her,'' said Citrine as she held Zincite by her hair. The fire-red Gem was still in shock, mumbling about her fallen partner.  Somehow, the golden gem had managed to worm her way out from underneath the shield.  Her gem was cracked and desperation seemed to radiate from her very existence. ''Let me leave with her and she will live.''

Tourmalinated Quartz wanted nothing more than to end Citrine's life, but she dropped her remaining shield. Tourmalinated Quartz understood that a desperate, unstable Gem was too large a risk--especially with Zincite's life in the balance. ''Leave then,'' she said.'' Tell your masters whatever it is they want to hear. Just know that the next time we cross paths, I will show you  no mercy. ''

With a scowl, Citrine fled with Zincite, leaving Tourmalinated Quartz alone on the ruined planet.

Personality:

Tourmalinated Quartz may seem like a good leader, but that's only because she takes her time thinking things through. She does not rush into anything and only acts on a feeling if she is certain that there is truth supporting it. Tourmalinated Quartz also possess a strong moral compass. Because she prefers to wait before taking action or making decisions, Tourmalinated Quartz may appear distant or uncaring. In reality, she is just weighing the positive and negative aspects of the situation so that she can make a strong, informed decision in which she can place her faith. After weighing her options and listening to all sides of an argument, Tourmalinated Quartz is often able to find effectives solutions to problems--even more effectively than other scouts.  Also, Tourmalinated Quartz is not a violent Gem. She understands that combat is unavoidable, but would rather see her opponents restrained or subdued , not killed. In extreme cases however, Tourmalinated Quartz will wield her shields to extinguish enemies that cannot be reasoned with. She may appear to be at peace with the universe because of her quiet, strong, confident demeanor, but in reality, Tourmalinated Quartz despises the injustices of the galaxy. She especially hates cowards and liars and will hold an unforgiving grudge against these kind of life forms until they re-earn her trust (which is not an easy task).

Abilities:

Tourmalinated Quartz primarily uses a unique hand-to-hand combat style that revolves around restraining, evading, and blocking opponents. Although this  fighting method may sound weak on paper, Tourmalinated Quartz has proven herself to be as strong as a high-class guard--even able to subdue enemies twice her size without her weapon. This fighting style, while powerful has some drawbacks however as it does not allow Tourmalinated Quartz to use her weapon-dependent powers.

As a last resort, Tourmalinated Quartz will wield her kite-shields. These heavy, powerful objects are practically indestructible and have never been broken or cracked. The shields also have a blade function that is capable of using the shields' incredible weight to slice large, thick,  and heavy objects. As an added bonus, while wielding even one of her shields, Tourmalinated Quartz is granted control over how gravity affects her--enabling her to wield the shields significantly faster. This limited control over gravity also enables Tourmalinated Quartz to fly while wielding her massive weapons. Besides decreasing her speed, the shields have another flaw. Any attack or force that the shields encounter must be redirected within 3.5 seconds. If the attack or force is not expelled within this time period, the shields will automatically discharge the energy in a random direction. Tourmalinated Quartz also has the option to absorb this energy within herself. However, this causes her great physical distress and can kill her if the force is too great.

Trivia:

  * Zincite and Spinel were once partners in guard unit before becoming a member of Unit 15116.
  * Spinel possessed the ability to control up to seven shuriken from a distance of up to 250 feet beyond this range, the shuriken are useless.
  * Tourmalinated Quartz is considered a fugitive and is currently wanted for treason.
  * The superiors granted Citrine the ability of photokinesis enabling her to absorb and bend light to her will. She is also able to travel through light particles, allowing her to fly, teleport, and move at light speeds. However,  the limit of Citrine's powers is directly related to the amount of light that she can absorb from a given area. In an area with little light, she is unable to use a majority of her powers.  The light Citrine fires and radiates can reach temperatures up to 67,000 K
  * After returning to Homeworld, Citrine was healed and continued to find and destroy intelligent life at the superior's command. This earned her the title of ''Radiant Savage'' and eventually, Citrine became commander of the Scientific Research Division. As commander, Citrine's first project was the construction of special restraints that would keep Zincite from using her powers. Citrine continued to sink into madness and an obsession over purity.
  * After several thousand years, the superiors sentenced Zincite to execution despite their promise to let her live. This is because Zincite staged several breakouts and nearly assassinated a superior after recovering from her trauma.
  * Tourmalinated Quartz eventually met and joined Tiger's Eye, Imperial Topaz and Chrysocolla. Upon their first encounter, Imperial Topaz was nearly beaten to death as Tourmalinated Quartz believed her to be Citrine.
  * Tourmalinated Quartz and Imperial Topaz fuse into Nuummite
  * Citrine and Zincite fuse into Bismuth



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any of you who may be wondering about the grammar errors, they will be corrected as soon as possible.


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